Courses

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Course Descriptions

MECH_ENG 389: Molecular Machines in Biology

Quarter Offered

Prerequisites

Description

Course for engineering, biology, and physics students who want to learn about the mechanics of molecules as it applies to the functioning of cells.

Who Takes It

Mechanical and biomedical engineering students usually take this course in their senior year.

What It's About

The inner workings of biological machinery has fascinated people for centuries, but only recently have we been able to unlock some of the secrets behind its operation. We have a lot to learn from nature; biological machines can be super efficient, and utilize principles and mechanisms unfamiliar to macroscopic machines. This course introduces students to the strange and uncharted world of cell machinery. One of the topics covered is biological motors, and ways they use chemical energy to produce motion. Also, topics of biological polymerization and fiber growth will be addressed.